Subpart E -- Providing Emergency Communications.
S 97.401 Operation during a disaster.
(a) When normal communication systems are overloaded,
damaged or disrupted because a disaster has occurred, or is
likely to occur, in an area where the amateur service is
regulated by the FCC, an amateur station may make transmissions
necessary to meet essential communication needs and facilitate
relief actions.
(b) When normal communication systems are overloaded,
damaged or disrupted because a natural disaster has occurred, or
is likely to occur, in an area where the amateur service is not
regulated by the FCC, a station assisting in meeting essential
communication needs and facilitating relief actions may do so
only in accord with ITU Resolution No. 640 (Geneva, 1979). The 80
m, 75 m, 40 m, 30 m, 20 m, 17 m, 15 m, 12 m, and 2 m bands may be
used for these purposes.
(c) When a disaster disrupts normal communication systems in
a particular area, the FCC may declare a temporary state of
communication emergency. The declaration will set forth any
special conditions and special rules to be observed by stations
during the communication emergency. A request for a declaration
of a temporary state of emergency should be directed to the EIC
in the area concerned.
(d) A station in, or within 92.6 km of, Alaska may transmit
emissions J3E and R3E on the channel at 5.1675 MHz for emergency
communications. The channel must be shared with stations licensed
in the Alaska-private fixed service. The transmitter power must
not exceed 150 W.
S 97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur
station of any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to
provide essential communication needs in connection with the
immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of
property when normal communication systems are not available.
S 97.405 Station in distress.
(a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an
amateur station in distress of any means at its disposal to
attract attention, make known its condition and location, and
obtain assistance.
(b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a
station, in the exceptional circumstances described in paragraph
(a), of any means of radiocommunications at its disposal to
assist a station in distress.
S 97.407 Radio amateur civil emergency service.
(a) No station may transmit in RACES unless it is an FCC-
licensed primary, club, or military recreation station and it is
certified by a civil defense organization as registered with that
organization, or it is an FCC-licensed RACES station. No person
may be the control operator of a RACES station, or may be the
control operator of an amateur station transmitting in RACES
unless that person holds a FCC-issued amateur operator license
and is certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in
that organization.
(b) The frequency bands and segments and emissions
authorized to the control operator are available to stations
transmitting communications in RACES on a shared basis with the
amateur service. In the event of an emergency which necessitates
the invoking of the President's War Emergency Powers under the
provisions of Section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. S 606, RACES stations and amateur stations
participating in RACES may only transmit on the following
frequencies:
(1) The 1800-1825 kHz,, 1975-2000kHz, 3.50-3.55 MHz, 3.93-
3.98 MHz, 3.984-4.000 MHz, 7.079-7.125 MHz, 7.245-7.255 MHz,
10.10-10.15 MHz, 14.047-14.053 MHz, 14.22-14.23 MHz, 14.331-
14.350 MHz, 21.047-21.053 MHz, 21.228-21.267 MHz, 28.55-28.75
MHz, 29.237-29.273 MHz, 29.45-29.65 MHz, 50.35-50.75 MHz, 52-54
MHz, 144.50-145.71 MHz, 146-148 MHz, 2390-2450 MHz segments;
(2) The 1.25 m, 70 cm and 23 cm bands; and
(3) The channels at 3.997 MHz and 53.30 MHz may be used in
emergency areas when required to make initial contact with a
military unit and for communications with military stations on
matters requiring coordination.
(c) A RACES station may only communicate with:
(1) Another RACES station;
(2) An amateur station registered with a civil defense
organization;
(3) A United States Government station authorized by the
responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations;
(4) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever
such communication is authorized by the FCC.
(d) An amateur station registered with a civil defense
organization may only communicate with:
(1) A RACES station licensed to the civil defense
organization with which the amateur station is registered;
(2) The following stations upon authorization of the
responsible civil defense official for the organization with
which the amateur station is registered:
(i) A RACES station licensed to another civil defense
organization;
(ii) An amateur station registered with the same or another
civil defense organization;
(iii) A United States Government station authorized by the
responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations; and
(iv) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever
such communication is authorized by the FCC.
(e) All communications transmitted in RACES must be
specifically authorized by the civil defense organization for the
area served. Only civil defense communications of the following
types may be transmitted:
(1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions
jeopardizing the public safety, or affecting the national defense
or security during periods of local, regional, or national civil
emergencies;
(2) Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of
life of individuals, the immediate protection of property,
maintenance of law and order, alleviation of human suffering and
need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage;
(3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and
dissemination of public information or instructions to the
civilian population essential to the activities of the civil
defense organization or other authorized governmental or relief
agencies; and
(4) Communications for RACES training drills and tests
necessary to ensure the establishment and maintenance of orderly
and efficient operation of the RACES as ordered by the
responsible civil defense organization served. Such drills and
tests may not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With the
approval of the chief officer for emergency planning in the
applicable State, Commonwealth, District or territory, however,
such tests and drills may be conducted for a period not to exceed
72 hours no more than twice in any calendar year.